Recommended Ages:
6 years old and up
Note: My niece is 6 years old and has already read through the book multiple times in the last week. And, she is able to actually read the words and begin asking questions. My daughter is only three years old, but she has enjoyed raising the flaps and looking at the pictures. And, while her questions are not quite as sophisticated, she is asking questions as well. So, as I often say, the recommended ages are just suggestions. I recommend this book for any age.
My Thoughts:
Based on our rating, you already know I love this book!
Usborne manages to cram over 100 flaps and countless (ok, not countless; but I’m not counting) facts about the body into only 12 pages. Even going through all of the flaps and facts, it is a manageable length to be used as a good bedtime book.
The illustrations are not anything special, but I believe it works well for this book. They are straightforward, contain a nice range of colors, and supplement the main focus of the book: flaps and facts. For example:
My favorite part, and an obvious focus of the book, is the flaps. I’ve included several examples below, as well as a Youtube video at the end of this post, that show various flap designs. Most, if not all, of the flap books that my wife and I have read to our daughter are more simply designed. They either have a single flap layer or offer something to pull to slide the flap down.
This book instead offers multiple layers and has them going in different directions. Such a simple addition, but it is one that has been thoroughly enjoyed by my two test readers.
One of the only head-scratching moments I had (other than at the facts that I did not previously know) is why this family keeps pasta, bread, rice, and oats in the freezer. I’m going to need Usborne to tell me which culture commonly does this!
One of the only downsides of the book is the omissions of certain body areas. And, for some areas that were covered, certain items were not labeled or included.
Clearly, given my rating, this does not bother me as a parent. As my child gets older, I plan to transition her to different books that will cover the body more in-depth. However, I do think Usborne missed some opportunities to make the book an even better learning tool.
Walkthrough Video:
Youtube user Sam Olson has posted a nice walkthrough of Usborne Look Inside Your Body. Her video gives you a nice look at the flaps in action. We suggest paying close attention to how Usborne has embedded flaps within flaps. My daughter and niece absolutely LOVE this feature. As I was flipping through the book tonight, I even noticed that there are a few they have missed. So, it even adds to the repeat reading value of the book.